By now, players are used to the different vibe when Tiger Woods isn’t around.

Woods missed the last two majors in 2008 and the middle two majors in 2011 because of injuries. With back problems this year, he missed his title defense at Bay Hill and missed the Masters for the first time.

The Players Championship, which begins Thursday in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is the second title defense that Woods is missing as he recovers from surgery.

“There’s no doubt he plays a huge impact on the feel of a tournament,” Adam Scott said. “He is obviously the No. 1 player in the world and one of sport’s biggest people in the world. So the attention he draws is massive, from the gallery to the media. So it’s obvious when he’s not around.”

Does that mean it’s easier to win?

That hasn’t been the case this year. Of the top 10 players in the world, only Masters champion Bubba Watson (No. 4), Matt Kuchar (No. 5) and Jason Day (No. 6) have won tournaments.

“There are so many guys winning events now that you’ve got to look past just No. 1,” Scott said. “He won five times last year, and that’s a lot, so obviously in a way it’s one contender that you don’t have to deal with. But the list is long here this week, and other guys are going to play great.

“I don’t see it as being as simple as the field versus Tiger.”

Four players have a chance to reach No. 1 at The Players Championship — Scott, Henrik Stenson, Watson and Kuchar.

The Match Play Championship won’t be in its traditional spot in the 2015 season for the first time since it began in 1999. The future of the World Golf Championship remains muddled after Accenture decided this year not to renew its title sponsorship. The Match Play traditionally wraps up the West Coast swing at the end of February.

“This has been taking longer than we thought,” said PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, who also didn’t rule out a return to Tucson, Arizona, which has an experienced host organization in the Conquistadors and an area that is a strong golf market.

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